Porters: Fighting Back
by RSwordsman
Summary: Chell is not the only test subject imprisoned in Aperture Labs. Together, their combined efforts might be enough to turn the tide against the corporation, and in the meantime, discover the truth. T-rating for some strong language and violence.
1. Chapter 1

PORTERS

Act 1: Fresh Meat, Stale Circuits

1

Sal always expected to have a brutal headache if he woke up with no idea where he was or what happened the previous day. Thankfully, he was in no such pain this time. He kept his eyes closed and enjoyed the gentle floating sensation of his dream. Turning over, he realized that he couldn't feel his bed, or much other than his clothes for that matter. He opened his eyes and realized that the floating sensation was more tangible than in a half-asleep state; whitish tile was drifting by below his eyes.

"What the hell?" he mumbled, moving around and trying to wake himself up. Looking around, he saw a sterile-looking room with tiled walls, floors, and ceilings. In the center was a glass-walled cell containing what looked like a bed, toilet, and small table.

"Relax, you're okay," a female voice said. He turned towards it, and came face-to-face with the muzzle of a menacing device, its three prongs wrapped in powerful electrical arcs.

"Jesus!" Sal shouted, suddenly thrashing around, simultaneously trying to distance himself from the machine and put his feet on solid ground. The girl shrieked, the device shut off, and he came crashing to the floor. He could not gain his footing, thanks to the bizarre attachments on his calves. "Who are you? Where are we? What the fuck is going on!" He thrashed on the ground, trying to stand up. Finally successful, he was out of breath and red-faced with bewildered rage.

"I told you to relax!" the girl said. "Everything is okay, for the moment. I'm Chell, we're in an underground research lab, and as for the last question, I honestly don't know. Just a few hours ago, I was in the same position you were, except that I was in that exact cell and being talked to by a disembodied computer voice. Comparatively, you've got it good, so do me a favor and chill out."

"Sorry," Sal replied, rubbing his head where he banged it on the tile, "So, anything else you'd like to tell me? I know there's got to be a story behind why you were levitating me with your death ray there."

"It's not a death ray," she said defensively, yet turning it away from him at the same time. "In simple terms, it's a portal gun. I'll get to that later, but for right now, we've got to get out of here."

"Why, what's the problem?" Sal asked, some worry returning to his voice. "I don't see anybody here, so what's the rush? We could at least poke around for some normal clothes first."

Chell put down the portal gun and kneaded her temples. "Right before I came back to save you, I destroyed the AI construct running the test facility we're in right now. If you haven't noticed, this place is really big and really high-tech, and if you think that the bigwigs aren't going to notice that their trillion-dollar computer blew up, you've got another thing coming."

"So, what, you think they'll come for us?"

"Not exactly. The weird thing about this testing facility is that the only way in and out is through portals. They're disabled right now, so for the moment, we're safe. What I'm worried about is that they could break out the big guns, and if they do, we could be looking at a tactical nuke coming down on our heads in a short amount of time. It's not certain, but it's a chance. And any chance of being burned to ash is more than I'm willing to stomach." Chell rubbed her temples again. "I swear, if I don't die that way, it'll be by headache instead."

"How do you know all this crap anyway? You said just a few hours ago you were in the same position I am."

She winced in pain before answering him. "How do you know what your name is? It just feels like I've always known; I can't really explain it."

Sal raised his eyebrows. "Okay then, so which way is 'out of here'?"

"Well," she replied, "For me, it's through here. Stand back." She picked up the portal gun again and fired it at the wall, making a bright blue flash and odd discharge sound. A blue, swirling oval where the shot landed outlined a large room beyond, where there was previously a blank spot of whitish tile.

"Holy shit," Sal whispered, unable to do anything else. "You—you're going to walk through that?"

"Yeah," Chell replied. "Did your science teacher ever talk about wormholes? Something about super gravity fields and spacetime being bent over on itself, I imagine it's the same basic idea." She put one foot, equipped with the same heel spring but otherwise bare, through the portal.

"Wait a minute, what about me?" Sal said, gesturing with his palms turned up.

"Sorry to say this, but you've got to go through a couple of test chambers. It's the only way to grab the other portal gun and learn how to use it. Don't worry, I'll be operating the tests manually, so I can help you as much as I can. Once you've got the complete gun, I can portal you back to me."

"I hope you're right," Sal sighed, and waited as the blue portal closed behind Chell, "Guess I better get started."


	2. Chapter 2

Sal stood in front of the circular door to the room, hoping for cue as to what he needed to do. An excessively polite, computerized voice came over the intercom. "Hello and again welcome to the Aperture Science Computer-Aided Enrichment Center. We hope your brief detention in the relaxation vault has been a pleasant one. Your specimen has been processed and we are now ready to begin the test proper."

"Yippee," he said to himself, "Gotta love taking orders from an overblown calculator." Despite his lack of enthusiasm, he remembered his real mission, and moved forward with little complaint. With automated responses triggered by Chell in the control room, he made his way through the first few test chambers and eventually acquired the blue hemisphere of the "Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device", still amazed at what the technology was capable of. In a few short minutes, he learned many tricks about portals involving observation and careful placement, speeds of objects going through them, and keeping his head when going through portals at contrasting angles to gravity (although this part left him more than a little queasy at points). Finally, while coordinating the shots of his blue portals to those of a mounted orange portal gun, he was able to leap to the central platform and combine the two halves into the same type of tool he saw Chell using earlier.

He looked at a video camera. "Hey Chell," he said, waving the completed piece of hardware, "I've got the gun. Can I get out of this rat maze now? Expecting to hear Chell over the intercom this time, he heard the computer again.

""The device has been modified so that it can now manufacture two linked portals at once. As part of an optional test protocol, we are pleased to present an amusing fact. The device is now more valuable than the organs and combined incomes of everyone in -SUBJECT HOMETOWN HERE-"

Sal groaned with frustration. "Chell! Can you hear me?" I'm done, you can quit with the computer tutorial now and we can get the hell out of here." He waited a few moments, but now even the automated responses were quiet. "Man, today is not my day." He had no choice but to continue through the chambers, going now only on what he learned from the previous few tests.

"Some funhouse they've got here," he said to himself, catching his breath after completing a fairly taxing and elaborate test. While taking a minute to sit down and gather his wits for the next one, he heard some static over the intercom. "Chell?"

"It's me, Sal," she said very calmly, "No need to worry, but there's bit a little snag. I don't think I can portal you back to where I am; you're just going to have to complete the tests. It's not really that far to the end from where you are, just one more I think. I also heard from other test subjects that there's cake after you finish."

"Whatever you say," Sal replied, more than a little leery of her answer. A little snag? Cake? Chell didn't seem the type of person to underestimate things, nor focus on something so trivial as cake when threatened with a nuclear missile. But what choice did he have?

He moved forward with the final test chamber, examining its features and looking carefully for the best actions and potential combinations before stringing it all together. At last, after a daring step off of a moving platform, through the portals and back onto it in order to slip past a wall, he was finished. He scarcely had a moment to breathe and settle his curiosity before he heard static over the intercom again.

"Sal, no! Don't listen, it's GLaDOS, she's taking over my head! Whatever I said, don't do it!"

"Shit," he said, his pulse instantly quickened again. "It's a little late now. Chell, what do I do?"

She said nothing at first, a long enough break for him to come into view of the final room: a cremation chamber. "Sal, listen to me! You're going to have to shoot a portal up at the opposite wall, then—"

"Chell, I don't know, the angle's all wrong, I can't do it!" He knew he could do it, but he was exhausted from the tests, the heat was getting to him, his vision was blurred by sweat and smoke, and the approaching fire caused him so much pain.

He lie crumpled on the platform, futilely trying to shield himself from the furnace, when he saw a portal open on the wall beside him. Chell recoiled at first from the heat, then boldly reached in and hauled him through to a large, dark room, somewhat scarred with what looked like small rocket impacts: GLaDOS's chamber. Looking up at her, awash with sweat, he said, "Did I mention that today is not my day?"

Chell obviously didn't have time to chuckle. As soon as Sal began to recover, she collapsed on the floor. Sal could see that she was physically connected to a gyrating mass of machinery in the middle by a cable implanted in the back of her head. "GLaDOS," she whimpered pitifully, "She's in my head, unplug the cord."

Sal did as she said, prying the connections away from her skin. Immediately, Chell looked renewed. "Thanks. Now it's time to unplug her too."

"You're welcome, but wait a second," Sal said, switching immediately from 'happy she's alive' to skeptical. "You said you destroyed GLaDOS, yet here 'she' is, apparently in perfect health."

"Yeah, sorry about that," she replied, "Again I'll tell you about that, but after we're done putting this bitch down for good."

GLaDOS's voice was heard again, this time resounding louder than before. "You're making a mistake. This isn't brave. It's murder. You do not know the true scope of your actions. Please, stop, or everyone will regret it later."

Chell completely ignored the pleas of the machine, and continued searching computer terminals and electrical conduits for anything that might control a main power source. "I've heard it all before, she said the exact same shit when she tried to kill me. Yeah, those rocket blasts there? Those laser score lines? All hers, gunning for you-know-who just because I outsmarted her little hamster wheel of a testing process." The venom in her voice only increased when she took a chair and swung it into a thick cable, snapping it out of its outlet.

GLaDOS's movement, desperate speech and dozens of monitors surrounding her suddenly stopped. "Primary power source deactivated; running core operations on auxiliary power."

"Well, that wasn't so hard," Chell said. Sal looked at her, basking in their small victory, when a different voice came over GLaDOS's speakers—a man's.

"-Message start- In the event that the GLaDOS computer becomes compromised, the scientists responsible for the Enrichment Center testing have left this message to those who did it. We left this as a warning: GLaDOS is not your enemy, and neither are we. We're sorry we can't say more at the moment, but it's too risky to explain why in this recording. For this reason, we've encrypted a launcher inside GLaDOS to revert the system to its state before we hacked her. Thankfully, only those who resist her verbal persuasion will figure out how to activate it. And we-- I, am so sorry for all of this. -Message end-"

"What the hell was that?" Sal said, "Who was that guy? And GLaDOS isn't the enemy even though she tried to kill us, and neither is the company who built it in order to test and kill us? Something is seriously wrong here!"

Chell just sighed, her eyes downcast, giving away the weight of the decision on her mind. "I know you probably don't agree with me," she mumbled in an unsure voice, "but we have to turn GLaDOS back on."


	3. Chapter 3

"Normally, I'd disagree with purposely turning on a giant, quivering death machine," Sal said, "But if that scientist was right, and GLaDOS was hacked, maybe it'll work differently and can help us get out of here."

"That's the plan," Chell said, almost cheerfully. "Hopefully, all it takes is plugging this cord back in." She replaced the giant cord snugly in the outlet, and the lights started coming back on.

"System reboot," GLaDOS said, in her normal voice again, "Resuming testing protocols."

"Ah hell," Chell murmured, "Here goes. GLaDOS, we want to protect you."

"What?" Sal asked, "Since when?"

"Trust me," Chell whispered. A second later, GLaDOS answered, "Password confirmed. Override launcher activated. Adjusting testing protocols accordingly, standby."

"Well, I wasn't expecting it to be that easy, but I can't say I'm surprised you knew what to say."

"The scientist said that those who can resist her verbal persuasion can figure it out. For a little while, I had this urge to say 'we want to protect you', but I was fighting it because by that time, she was still trying to kill us. I felt like I was going insane until I knew that it was only information being downloaded through that cord into my head."

"I hope you know that's seriously fucked up," Sal said, "but whatever works I guess. What do we do now?"

"Engaging politeness algorithms. Hello test subjects. It appears you are off course from your training route. Shall I open a portal for you to the proper test chamber?"

"Huh, she sounds perky," Sal said. Deciding to test her new air of assistance, he asked "GLaDOS, where would the portal take us?"

"According to my records, each of you has completed primary training. The redirect portal will lead to the armory, where our logistics officers will issue your uniforms, and equip you for deployment."

The two of them were silent. This was too good to be true—the same computer which nearly incinerated both of them was now offering them clothes and customized gear? "GLaDOS," Chell said, "What about cake? You mentioned before that there would be cake in the end."

"I apologize," GLaDOS said, "Any mention of cake was likely a user modification to my automated responses in order to further encourage test subjects to complete the course."

"What do you think, Chell? Is she telling the truth?" Sal whispered.

"I don't know," she said. "Why are you telling us this, GLaDOS? I thought any information regarding the test subjects themselves would be classified."

"You are correct," GLaDOS replied, "I am restricted from giving details of the training to test subjects, but since the two of you have completed primary training, you have been granted all the rights and privileges associated with the position of Porter."

The two looked at each other. "Badass," Sal said, "I'm pretty sure she's telling the truth."

"We've heard enough, GLaDOS," Chell said, in tacit agreement. "Open the redirect portal."

A green portal opened on the wall. "Congratulations on completing Porter primary training. I am pleased to present an optional fact: Your success makes you the 299th and 300th graduates of the Porter program of Aperture Science. Dismissed."

The two of them were left to ponder her closing statements before entering the portal on the wall.


	4. Chapter 4

Finally, the hallway relented. The room they entered was slightly different than the training center in its materials and design in that it didn't seem quite so sterile; it was intended for humans instead of computers. To their right was an arrangement of chairs in front of a podium and projection screen. On the other side, a display of food and drink caused the test subjects' eyes to widen. They also spotted some bunks beyond another doorway. Before they could enjoy any of it, however, a tile began lowering from the ceiling with an electric whirr. A light shone from it onto the screen behind the podium. The projector took a few seconds to start up, then showed a man facing the camera. He wore what appeared to be a very stylized military uniform, but his face was blurred out.

"I'm sorry to hide my identity from you," he said, his voice also distorted, "But Aperture Science, and specifically the Security Division, felt it necessary to maintain a certain distance from the Porters. You must realize you are very dangerous people now, and we have done a terrible thing to you in removing your personal memories."

"Damn right you have!" Sal said, but quieted as the video continued.

"But rest assured, at the end of your contract, they will be restored to you, possibly sooner if you display loyalty to Aperture. Now you should get some rack time before outfitting. I know you've been through a lot today, with no food or rest until now. And also, let me be the first to thank you for your service." He saluted at the camera, and the projector shut off.

"Well, that seals it," Sal said, "I knew recruiters were persuasive, but damn. Before I can even say no, I'm through training and getting shipped out."

Chell couldn't suppress a giggle. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. We'll probably have a better handle on things after a little R and R."

Their eyes returned to the buffet. All manner of things decorated the table, from fruits and vegetables, to international dishes, to steak and seafood, and fancy desserts, all kept hot by unobtrusive heaters underneath.

"This is so wild," Sal said, trying his best to speak and eat at the same time, "I was so sure we were just lab rats, but after what that guy said and what they're giving us here, the deal doesn't seem quite so bad. The only missing piece is why and how they took us against our will."

"I don't know about you, but I still want to know what's going on, no matter how well they treat us now," Chell replied, also struggling a little to talk between bites. "They shouldn't have to bribe us with anything if they're working towards a noble cause. And we can't forget the situation with GLaDOS. Apparently she was hacked to try and kill us, so that's somebody else we have to account for."

"Speaking of GLaDOS," Sal began, "I asked before why you said you destroyed her and then she came back. You never answered me."

"Sorry about that," she replied, "Things were kind of busy back there. I'll try my best to explain it." Chell took a breath to collect her thoughts. "From what info I got from GLaDOS, apparently she's constructed not of normal parts like regular computers, but trillions of 'cells' of only a few molecules each. Every cell has a tiny EM component that works as a motor, and a portal generator built on a quantum scale that can generate nano-sized portals. When various cells coordinate and form a network, they can link these nanoportals together in exactly the right way. When that happens, the motors bend the cells so they go partly through the portals, and are then pulled through by cells on the other side. Basically, GLaDOS can rebuild herself in a matter of hours even if she's blown to the tiniest of smithereens. The only way to take her down for good is to either shut down her main power and make her mostly useless, like we did before, or put her in some kind of acid that breaks her down beyond the molecular level."

"I'm sorry Chell, but I barely understood a word of that."

"If you'd believe me, I hardly understand it either," Chell admitted, with an embarrassed smile, "I only repeated what was given to me, almost word for word."

Sal shook his head. "My mind's been spun around enough times for today now, I think I'm ready for a nap." He put down his plate of food and headed for the bunks.

"I'll join you," Chell said, yawning. "I hope we get new clothes soon, and something to deal with these heel springs."

Sal yawned along with her, "Yeah, I hope so." He climbed up to the top bunk. Lying down marked the first time he felt fully relaxed he could remember, and he was out before he could say goodnight.


	5. Chapter 5

"Good morning!" an electronic, vaguely feminine voice said. Sal rolled over, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and trying to see what it was that woke him. He discovered that his greeting came from a whitish sphere with a lime-green light in the middle, mounted to the ceiling but dangling discomfortingly close to his face. "Porters serial numbers 299 and 300 are scheduled to report to the quartermaster at zero-seven-hundred hours, exactly one hour from now."

"God damn," Sal said while making sure his portal gun was beside him, "I'm getting sick of this robot business."

"They're probably better than any people we might see," Chell groaned from the bottom bunk.

"Any inconveniences I might cause are only in the name of efficiency," the robotic sphere said, "I am AI core 864-51879, but you may call me Bugle." It finished its introduction with a girlish giggle.

"Alright then, Bugle, was your only job to wake us up like this?" Sal asked, heavily hinting that he wanted her to leave.

"That is not my only function, Porter serial number 300. I will act as your guide in the deployment center here. You could say that I serve as a stand-in commander until you link up with your unit, although any 'orders' I give you are more similar to suggestions than mandates."

"Commander, huh?" Chell said, sitting up in her bunk, "Okay, so what do you 'suggest' we do first?"

Bugle's response was simultaneous with wall panels sliding away to reveal shower stalls. "First, you will wash. Please bring your Handheld Portal Devices with you. You may leave your Enrichment Center suits on the hooks inside."

Sal hopped down and exchanged dubious expressions with Chell.

"Go now," Bugle added, "You must adhere to the Security Division's standard sense of urgency, even if I don't like it very much."

"Why do you do it if you don't like it?" Chell asked, "Not to mention, you're just an AI core, not GLaDOS. How can you have such complex thoughts?"

"I enforce the standard sense of urgency because it is part of the reason I was constructed. As for my complex thoughts, I cannot say; you must consult the Aperture Science AI core database." Her pale-green light changed to a menacing red. "And in the future, I would not have you question my intentions. Understood? Great!" Her light returned to green, and the cheer went back to her voice.

"Um, was I the only one who thought that was a little creepy?" Sal said, unzipping his suit and entering the shower stall.

"You'd think we would be used to it by now," Chell said, doing the same, "But I don't think anybody gets used to being scolded by a kinda-sorta self-aware machine."

Before Sal finished getting all the soap off of himself, the water cut off and the opening back to the bunk room slammed shut sharply. Enclosed on all sides, he felt a little claustrophobic. "Hey!" he shouted, panic rising in his chest. "Chell?" He could hear Chell thumping on the door to his right. Before long though, Bugle's voice was loud and clear in the stall. "Do not be alarmed," she said through a speaker in the ceiling, "A door will open shortly to the supply room. There, the quartermaster will outfit and equip you for deployment." No sooner did she finish speaking than the opposite wall slid away.

The room was fairly large and cluttered with various uniform pieces, tactical gear and electronic devices. To his immediate left was a dark-tiled wall; Chell must have been on the other side. For now, they were separate.

"Welcome, Porter serial number 300," a calm male voice said, "I am AI core 772-28743, the Security Division quartermaster." Sal turned and flattened against the wall, gripping his portal gun tightly. "There is no reason for your tension. I assure you, I am quite harmless and exist only to assist you here in the logistics vestibule." The calm voice came from another AI core, but this one was installed in a humanoid framework, allowing it to walk around and handle items in the room. "Your analysis shows that you are male, five-eleven, one-hundred eighty pounds." The AI core took a moment to scan him. "Your measurements are now completed. You may wait here while I retrieve the appropriate articles."

"Wait a minute, what about Chell?" Sal asked.

"If you are referring to Porter serial number 299, she is in the logistics vestibule on the other side of that wall. Your training is complete and you will most likely not accompany her for the rest of the deployment process. If you wish to know about her deployment information, you must check with her human resources requisition officer at the field operations command center."

"What? Her field command center, as in somewhere out in the world? You're saying that for me to ask where she's going, I have to know in the first place?"

"Negative," the quartermaster said calmly, "The field operations command center is the next step in the deployment process; you will be reunited once you complete your outfitting here. Put this on." Sal stood, sighing at his helplessness as robotic arms handed him his uniform. He admired the digital pattern of the fabric as he put it on. He remembered playing army in the woods with his friends when they were kids. His memory stopped at their faces, as if his friends' heads were covered with ski masks. Another surge of vengefulness coursed through him, and he steeled himself for when his chance came to retake his life.

"Compared to normal combat units," the quartermaster began, "Porters are issued fairly limited gear. Just as scout-sniper teams are to frontline infantry, Porters comprise a very special role in the Aperture Science Security Division. By way of their transportational abilities and specific missions, Porters rely far less on long-term survival equipment, and in some cases are required to travel light for increased agility in high-stress situations."

"So, what? You're going to just send me out there with a canteen and a portal gun?"

"Quite the contrary," the quartermaster replied, "In addition to your Handheld Portal Device, you will carry an assortment of items to help you in your specialized battlefield role. For instance, despite your almost pacifistic training program, you are authorized to carry a conventional sidearm for self-preservation." He began to insert a pistol into a holster on Sal's uniform, but then he froze and announced, " -Error- It appears you have not completed the basic firearms course."

"No I haven't, but you can take that one up with GLaDOS when you see her."

"Re-evaluation request for Porter serial number 300 declined; file corrupted. I apologize for my outbursts, but my speech module is tied directly to my processor core and when performing background calculations, they do come off as technical babble."

"That's great, but what did you say about my re-evaluation request declined? What happens now?" Sal took a step back as the robot leaned closer to him.

"Don't tell command this, but I'm going to let you through anyway," he whispered, as well as a computer-voice can, "There is a weapons course in every foreign deployment camp. I will give you a voucher for priority admission."

"Thanks, I guess," Sal said as the quartermaster finished attaching his harness and all its accessories.

"It was my pleasure," the robot said, saluting with a metallic clink, "If you have any further inquiry about your equipment, enter its identification number on a logistics database terminal. You will find the necessary information. Goodbye."

A wall panel slid up into the ceiling on the far end of the room. "We've got to be done soon," Sal muttered to himself as he started for the exit.


End file.
